It Knows What Scares You
by mogy
Summary: Hermione faces a boggart she didn't expect.


**Disclaimer:** Don't own it, never will. Props to the lovely JK.

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Ginny was giggling furiously when her mother's voice rang through the house.  
  
"VIRGINIA WEASLEY!"  
  
She sighed. Hermione noticed she looked extremely exasperated.  
  
"Ever since Fred and George left..." Ginny said in a soft voice. "She's been making me do everything. Absolutely everything."  
  
"GINNY! Your mother really wants you to come here!" Mr. Weasley's voice came seconds later.  
  
Hermione giggled as Ginny did an imitation of her father calling her under her mother's orders. "So," Ginny continued, after Hermione had regained her composure. "What made you come back? We all thought that you would want to stay with your parents after the Department of Mysteries."  
  
Hermione sighed. She knew someone was bound to ask her this question sooner or later. "Well, I figured that I should be here." She answered evasively, since she didn't exactly know why she wanted to be here, and she had no intention of having some kind of an epiphany while chatting with Ginny.  
  
Ginny nodded solemnly. "I can see how you could figure that. You spent all that time with the Order and you don't want to endanger your family."  
  
Hermione gave Ginny a funny look. She hadn't thought of that. "Yes, I do know a lot more than I should. Don't I?"  
  
"And of course, you wanted to spend time with Ron and me," Ginny said non-chalantly, ignoring her last comment.  
  
Hermione nodded. "I never see you when we spend summers apart. Though sometimes I think that might be a good thing,"  
  
Ginny giggled. "I know what you mean." She tilted her chair back so that she was balancing on the back legs. "You and Ron always have those tremendous rows when you spend too much time together."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes in accord.  
  
Sighing, Ginny added. "And Harry of course, you want to spend time with Harry."  
  
"Yes, of course." Hermione agreed mindlessly. "When do you think he'll be coming to stay with us?"  
  
She shrugged. "'Dunno. Mum says that he should stay with the Muggles all summer."  
  
Hermione frowned a little at the way Ginny said Muggles, but Ginny didn't seem to catch it. "Why does she think that?"  
  
Ginny bit her bottom lip in thought. "I'm not sure. Snape and Dumbledore agree though."  
  
"They would," Hermione answered cryptically.  
  
"VIRGINIA!" Mrs. Weasley's shrill voice sounded again. Ginny sighed.  
"WHAT?!" Ginny yelled back.  
  
"I need help with this boggart in the kitchen cupboard. Hurry down!" Ginny shook her head.  
  
"Ever since last time she won't face the boggart alone." A look of concern contoured her features.  
  
Hermione swallowed. "Well, that was very scary. Imagine if you saw Ron dead on the floor."  
  
Ginny smirked. "Don't tempt me, Hermi—"  
  
"GINNY!"  
  
"I'M COMING!" She placed all four legs of the chair down on the floor with a loud thump. "I'll be right back." She said, standing up and reaching for the door knob.  
  
Hermione stood as well. "I'll come, too."  
  
Ginny smiled. "You don't have to you know, I'll be done before you can say 'I'll take Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin anytime.'" She winked.  
  
"You're a bucket of raging hormones, do you know that?" Hermione joked as the traipsed down the hallway.  
  
"Honestly, I think that spending my whole life with teenage boys has had some affect on me." They laughed together and Mrs. Weasley tittered impatiently when they stepped off the landing.  
  
"Took you long enough. I don't think you understand, Virginia, that when your mother asks you to jump, you say, 'Yes Mum. When can I come down?'" Mrs. Weasley was staring her square in the eyes, and Hermione swore that she could see a vein bulging near her temple.  
  
In hopes that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't turn her attentions to Hermione, she opened the dresser drawer and prayed it would be the one with the boggart so she could finish it off and run away from this bout of Weasley upbringing.  
  
She had barely touched the knob when the drawer sprang open and a curious green light flashed before the eyes of those surrounding the staircase. Hermione's heart fluttered a bit, and she wondered what exactly she was going to face. Her eyes refocused, and to her horror there, lying right in front of her was a dead body. It had a funny green tinge to it's eyes were glazed over. It was a boy, and his mouth was shaped in a sad 'o' shape. Hermione wanted to scream, but she just stood and stared. She stepped closer and almost leapt into the air when she heard a small crack. She looked down towards her feet to see a pair of glasses, crushed beneath her soles. She gasped again and dropped her wand. Collapsing to the body's side she screamed. There was a scar on his forehead.  
  
"IT'S HARRY!" She yelled frantically, hands on her cheeks. "IT'S HARRY! HELP HIM!" She screamed in spite of herself.  
  
Ginny grabbed her shoulder from behind. "Hermione, it's not real. Come on-–" Hermione tugged her shoulder away. "Hermione!"  
  
"Of course it's not real! Do I look dumb?" She screeched.  
  
"Just stand up Hermione...walk away..."  
  
For a moment Ginny seemed to be the only voice of reason. Hermione's better, more instinctual half was pleading with Ginny's voice to leave her next to that body. To run and go get help. She couldn't leave Harry. She'd never leave Harry. But then Ginny shook her should violently and Hermione snapped out of it.  
  
"Come upstairs, Hermione...." Ginny seemed to suggest, but Hermione knew it was an order.  
  
A quiet 'yes' was all Hermione had to offer in return.

They sat in silence for a considerable amount of time. Hermione mulling over what she had just seen. Though she was too sensible to be traumatized, the sight was extremely disturbing. She was polishing her nails on her robes when Ginny finally spoke.  
  
"Are you really okay? I'd understand if you weren't." She looked at her, brown eyes twinkling with what Hermione suspected were tears.  
  
She sighed. "Yes, I think I am . . . but that makes me not okay."  
  
Ginny stared at her. "I don't understand."  
  
"I didn't expect you to." Hermione said, sounding disappointed.  
  
Ginny laughed. "You don't expect to understand you at all."  
  
"That's not true!" Hermione protested.  
  
But she only smirked. "Is it because Ron doesn't understand you?"  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Ron understands me . . . " She said slowly. "I think . . . "  
  
"Not as much as Harry though?" Ginny offered. Hermione frowned.  
  
"What are you getting at?" She asked.  
  
Ginny giggled. "Well, it wasn't Ron's dead body the boggart turned into. I just think maybe you and Harry–"  
  
Hermione slapped a hand to her forehead. "Honestly. All the time my parents are constantly asking me, 'You really like that Potter boy, eh? He sounds nice . . . ' and I can't stand it! Does everyone think I am secretly swooning over Harry Potter?"  
  
"Almost everyone." Ginny informed her. "Lots of Ravenclaws think you have a thing for Malfoy." She said matter-of-factly.  
  
"WHAT?!" Hermione screamed. "That pompous racist? Why would I? How do you know this?!" She demanded.  
  
"Luna told me . . . " Ginny replied.  
  
Hermione let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's a different story. She's probably making it up to get attention."  
  
"Luna's not all that bad."  
Hermione shook her head. "She's so gullible. What kind of person believes in those snorkle-whosa-what's-its?"  
  
Ginny smiled. "Well, she's smart, even if she is a believer." Hermione bit her lip. "But anyway, back to the topic at hand."  
  
"And that would be . . . ?"  
  
"How much you care for Harry." Ginny answered.  
  
"Oh goodness. Must we talk about that?" Hermione groaned. Ginny nodded.  
  
"You miss him. And you're worrying about him."  
  
Hermione glared daggers at her. "Not really. I hadn't really thought about it." She said snippily.  
  
"Er, yeah. So that's why you're at Head Quarters, because you keep forgetting about Harry and if you stay here, just maybe you'll be able to remember who he is." Her words were dripping with sarcasm, and Hermione was reminded all to well of Ron.  
  
"Does it matter?" Hermione asked, really not finding any interest in the topic.  
  
Ginny sniggered. "Hermione, I am going to be incredibly honest with you right now," Hermione nodded. "Ron wants me and Harry to become involved . . . but I'm not really into him, you know? Anyway," She pressed on. "Though I've moved on, I won't lie. Harry is one fine piece of–"  
  
"Ginny!" Hermione gasped and slammed a hand to her chest as though she had been mortally offended.  
  
She shrugged. "Do you deny it?"  
  
Hermione opened her mouth, but then, as if on cue, Ron came storming into the room.  
  
"'Ello," He greeted before flopping onto the bed next to Hermione. "All right?"  
  
Hermione ignored him, though she secretly was very grateful he had decided to burst in.  
  
"Ron! Me and Hermione were talking!" Ginny said.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "What was it this time? How beautiful Ernie is?"  
  
Ginny glowered at him. "No, not Ernie." She said, piquing his interest.  
  
"Who then?" Ron asked, propping himself up on his elbows.  
  
Ginny smiled at Hermione. "I'll be damned if I ever tell you."  
  
"Bah!" Ron said, taking a pillow and throwing at her with unnecessary force. Ginny grabbed her wand.  
  
"I will hex you!" Ron stuck out his tongue.  
  
"It doesn't matter because I know that without magic I'll–" But Ron was cut short by Ginny's wand clonking him square on the forehead. "Jesus, Gin!" Hermione began to giggle. "That's it!"  
"What are you going to do?" Ginny taunted. "Inform the Improper Use of Magic–"  
  
"What's going on in here?" Professor Lupin's hoarse voice came from the door pane. Hermione noticed that his robes were a bit less shabbier than usual. She wondered if he were wearing Sirius'.  
  
"Nothing, Professor." Ron answered, fuming and shooting Ginny evil glances that suggested her undoing in the near future.  
  
Lupin smiled. "Don't you think we're beyond that whole teacher- student relationship? No need to hide from the Professor."  
  
Ron goggled at him. "It's not you I'm worried about. It's Mum."  
  
"Ah, I see. Because since I'm an adult I automatically tell your mother everything?"  
  
Ron frowned. "Er–no–I–Okay then," He paused. "I'm am getting ready to kill Ginny."  
  
Lupin eyed Ron and then Ginny. "I wouldn't if I were you. She's got a mean Bat-Boogey Hex." And with that he un-poked his head from the doorway and continued down the hall.

-fin-


End file.
